I'm home
by ahungrylioness
Summary: AU. A Yukihira with a darker past makes a connection with the God's Tongue, but it all falls apart when Nakiri Azami enforces his regime within the school. While struggling to survive in this new Tootsuki, both of them must face the demons of the past in order to succeed, pour their souls into cooking and resist.
1. Chapter 1

Cover image not mine.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shokugeki no Soma.

* * *

Nakiri Erina sighed. It had been a long day. She looked through the window, not paying attention as the trees passed by, daydreaming about her comfy queen-sized bed. She just wanted to lay down and sleep until there was no tomorrow but, of course, she couldn't ever admit that out loud - her pride didn't allow it.

Another sigh. The driver looked at her through the rear-view mirror, a frown on his forehead and concern written on his face, and pondered if he should say something, but decided against it. It wasn't his place.

Before she realized it, they arrived at the gates of the Nakiri mansion. Startled by the sudden stop, she grabbed her things and got out of the car without saying a word, her driver still looking at her. She entered the gates and crossed the gardens quickly, not taking in her surroundings until she was inside. The first person she acknowledged, Arato Hisako.

"Erina-sama, some papers about the Elite Ten affairs have arrived earlier this afternoon, if you would look at them…" she asked while handing Nakiri said papers.

"Not now, Hisako," growled the spoiled Tootsuki princess before her aid had a chance of finishing her explanation.

"Of course, Erina-sama," Hisako bowed her head, getting out of the way without insisting. She saw that Erina wasn't up for doing any paperwork at the time. In fact, she could clearly see the bags under her eyes and the exhaustion that her body carried itself through the mansions' corridor.

"You're dismissed. Get some sleep, I'm sure tomorrow you'll feel better," her voice softened while she practically ran to her room without looking back at her. She didn't even hear Hisako's response, her only objective was to finally find her bed and forget about her day.

Because that day, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. She had overslept and had arrived at least, according to her watch, ten minutes late. The professor teaching hadn't been mad, because who could get angry at the best first year in the school? At the tenth seat of the Elite Ten? Nobody. But that hadn't mattered to her. To miss perfect. She had made a mistake, and that wasn't allowed in her life. But her bad luck hadn't stopped there, of course not. After all her classes, which she had passed with A++, she had come across Alice. Yes, Nakiri Alice, her annoying cousin who couldn't stop teasing her.

A shudder went through Erina's body as she recalled that awful conversation.

 _"_ _Erina! Erina!" the God's Tongue turned around to see her overly happy cousin running towards her. She sighed for the tenth time that day._

 _"_ _Hello, Alice," she greeted her cordially, stopping walking so the other girl could catch up to her easily._

 _"_ _Rumour has it that you were late today, my dear cousin," with a twinkle in her eye, Alice teased her cousin mercilessly, knowing that the littlest thing could set her off. Erina huffed, but otherwise didn't respond. The other Nakiri smirked at her reaction, she just loved how worked up the God's Tongue got over such menial and meaningless things. "C'mon, Erina, don't be like that. A little bird told me that Yukihira was also late, so…"_

 _"_ _What are you insinuating!?" countless students walking by stared at her in surprise, startled by the sudden outburst she just had._

 _"_ _Nothing, really, what are you talking about?" then it hit her. "Oh my God, Erina, get your mind out of the gutter!" Alice began laughing madly, causing even more students to turn to stare at the two of them. By now, the Tootsuki princess was already blushing. Really hard. After a minute, Alice regained her composure, even though she was still struggling not to go on laughing at her cousin. "I would've never imagined that you could think this type of things, since you're so innocent and… well, pure."_

 _"_ _Who are you calling innocent?" great, now she offended her even more._

 _"_ _Erina… If a man intends to establish a conversation with you, the first thing you do is ignore him because you think he's going to challenge you and that would be a waste of time."_

 _"_ _Well, of course I think that, that's the most logical reason."_

 _"_ _See, that's where you're wrong. If you weren't so innocent, your first thought would be 'Wow, he's cute, and he's interested in me, maybe we could work this out.'"_

 _Erina blushed even harder._

 _"_ _That doesn't mean I'm innocent."_

 _"_ _Oh, yes it does," she looked at Erina with a smug smile._

 _"_ _Shut up. I don't have time for this nonsense today Alice, I have a shokugeki scheduled in an hour, so I have to get going."_

 _"_ _You do? And where's Hisako, then? You're always attached to the hip" she looked around for the God's Tongue aid, but there was no trace of her._

 _"_ _She hasn't been feeling all that well today, so I told her to rest for a while."_

 _"_ _And she listened? She's actually resting right now?" Alice asked incredulously._

 _Erina rolled her eyes, feeling irritated. "Who do you think I am? Of course she's resting, I made sure of it."_

 _"_ _Sure, how could I forget, you can order around anyone you want" she answered with an eye roll of her own, making her cousin huff in annoyance. "Let's get going, you don't want be late again, do you?"_

 _She only received a growl of irritation in response._

And obviously, because of her cousin's distractions, Erina had ended up arriving late to the shokugeki. Second mistake of the day and the worst part was that it was the same mistake she had already made. Alice hadn't even had the nerve to apologise – when Erina had seen what time it actually was, the murderous look on her face had her cousin running for the hills without uttering a word.

Either way, she had won the shokugeki. As expected. And to make things worse, Alice had been waiting for her at the exit, with Kurokiba.

 _"_ _Nakiri Alice, I'm going to kill you," growled the God's Tongue as soon as she saw her cousin._

 _"_ _Ryo, protect me from her, hurry!" she used Kurokiba as a shield, hiding behind him and peeking over his shoulder as Erina approached._

 _Kurokiba grunted as he felt Alice push his back towards her cousin, but he didn't move._

 _"_ _I was late. Again! Because of you!" she pointed at her, her face red as a tomato due to the anger running through her veins at that moment._

 _"_ _Don't blame me for your stuff!"_

 _"_ _Don't blame you!? Of course I blame you! It's your fault! If you hadn't distracted me, I would've arrived on time!"_

 _"_ _Miss, I think she's right…" mumbled calmly Alice's aid._

 _"_ _What? You have to be on my side, Ryo!" pouted the other Nakiri without any shame._

 _Erina sighed at the sight. It was the fifteenth sigh of the day, and she was utterly exhausted._

 _"_ _I'm going home," she announced, already walking and not sparing a glance at the pair behind her._

 _"_ _Wait, Erina. Let me call a car for you, okay? After all, we don't want you to get lost, do we, Ryo?"_

 _"_ _Fine. It's the least you can do, anyways."_

 _Ten minutes later, a car with Tootsuki's logo imprinted on the front doors arrived._

 _"_ _Well, we'll be going then."_

 _"_ _Aren't you two going home?"_

 _"_ _No, first I want to investigate some research societies," explained her cousin, already walking away with her loyal aid._

 _Erina didn't even have the chance to say goodbye, the car was already starting to move and her cousin was too far away. She just leaned on the comfortable seat cars and closed her eyes, resting for a bit._

 _Not even ten minutes later, though, her rest was disturbed by a loud sound, scaring her, and the car began to slow down._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Nakiri-sama, it seems that the car broke down," the driver parked on the side of the road carefully._

 _"_ _Great," she huffed sarcastically. "Where are we?"_

 _"_ _We have more or less 7 miles left. But don't worry, Nakiri-sama, I'm calling another car immediately," he reassured already taking his phone out of his pocket and dialling a number with his thumb. "I need another car to take Nakiri-sama home, this one broke down on the way. Yes. Five minutes? Okay. Thank you," he turned to Erina. "The car will be here in five minutes miss. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to call a mechanic to start with the repairs."_

 _"_ _Go ahead," Erina sighed for… the seventeenth time that day? She had lost count._

 _A little more than five minutes later, another black expensive car appeared, but the mechanic hadn't showed up yet. The Tootsuki princess got in, glaring at everyone with those purple eyes of hers, feeling extremely irritated._

 _In thirty minutes, she was at the gates of the Nakiri mansion._

She dropped on her bed, her purse falling to the floor beside her feet. Eyes closed, she let her body relax for the first time that day. She just was so damn tired. After a couple of minutes, Erina found the energy necessary to stand up again and change her clothes. Now in her comfy pyjamas and not bothering to move her purse, still on the floor, she cuddled with her bedsheets and, in just a few seconds, fell asleep.

* * *

Gasping, she shot out of bed and fell to the floor. Pain irradiated from her elbow and up to her arm, one knee bruised because of the fall, but all that didn't matter. Erina looked around the room frantically, her eyes searching every corner and every shadow, looking for someone who wasn't there. Who couldn't possibly be there. But at the thought of him she began shaking uncontrollably and her breathing sped up even more. With one hand fisted in the bedsheet that had partially fallen to the floor, Erina tried to calm down, but the poorly illumination of the bedroom wasn't helping. She needed air. Standing up as well as she could in that state, she stumbled towards the vast balcony, connected to her room by a wide crystal door, and gripped the banister with both hands, trying to stop them from shaking so much.

She drew a deep breath. Her long hair moved with the soft, cold air of the night, and she shivered at the temperature. Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate on her surroundings – the wind caressing the leaves of the trees, crickets chirping loudly and the distant sound of moving vehicles overwhelmed her sense of hearing and helped her regain her composure. The shaking stopped, even though she was still shivering a bit due to the cold, and her breathing evened.

Before she could open her eyes, though, a sound in the bushes under her balcony broke her peaceful state of mind. More curious than frightened, Erina opened her eyes and tried to adjust her sight in the darkness before her. She could see some lights far away hanging over the road, but other than that, the only source of light she had was the one coming from her bedroom behind her, and it still wasn't enough. Narrowing her eyes, Erina tried to look deep in the bushes below her, but all she got was confusing shadows.

"Hey," a head suddenly popped up next to her hands, which were gripping the banister tightly, and the God's Tongue squealed loudly. "Whoa, no need to wake the whole neighbourhood, Nakiri" laughed a manly voice that seemed strangely familiar.

Without realising it, she had moved further away from the shock that had run through her body, so she stepped, cautiously, closer to the figure that was literally climbing her balcony. And she saw a flash of red hair. Red, spiky, annoying hair.

"Yukihira!?" she all but shouted. "What do you think you're doing here!?"

"Calm down, I just need a favour" he finally was standing on her balcony, scratching the back of his head with an embarrassed smile on his lips.

"Do you know what time is it? And what makes you think I'll help you in any way, commoner?" she could not believe that he had the nerve of invading her house, her room, her privacy. And who did he think he was, anyway, showing up there and demanding favours. The Tootsuki princess didn't do favours. At all. "I'm calling security. Right now."

She turned around, ignoring his stunned expression and started walking towards the inside of her bedroom.

"Wait, wait," Yukihira ran behind and took her hand before she could have a chance to exit the balcony. "Just let me tell you what I want and if you say no, I'll go. I promise," he turned her body so she was facing him. "Please," his voice low and soft but mostly pleading.

The God's Tongue scowled.

"Fine. But it better be quick or else I'll kick you out so fast you won't even have time to blink." Yukihira just smiled at her threat and lifted his left hand, the other still holding hers, showing her a little box wrapped in a dark green cloth.

"For you."

"You came all the way here to give me commoner's food? You've definitely gone insane."

"Just try it. Please?" his hand gave hers a little squeeze. Almost immediately, as if she got burnt, the Tootsuki princess snatched her hand away from his, causing him to stumble a little towards her, their bodies inches apart.

"Get away from me!" Erina pushed his chest and backed away from him until her back touched the bannister, the coldness of it against her skin, making her shiver even more than before.

"Man, I'm sorry. My mistake, Nakiri."

"What were you thinking, cooking at this hour of the night and coming here?" she tried to calm herself down, reassured by the fact that he didn't try to approach her again and stayed where he was.

"To tell you the truth… I don't really know. I just woke up a few hours ago after… Well, I woke up and had this urge to cook. For you. So, I spent two hours, give it or take, improving my dish."

"Improving?" she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes, I brought my Transforming Furikake. But the improved version. Wanna try it?" he smiled kindly.

"Let's get this over with," she huffed, faking annoyance.

Yukihira's smile widened. He grabbed the box and opened it. Erina could see a bowl of rice, steam coming out of it and, next to it, there was the eggs and the savoury chicken soup in the form of an aspic. He took the last recipient, the one containing eggs and aspic, and poured it all on the hot steaming white rice, just as he did the first time he cooked for her.

The smell of chicken broth and egg filled the air, making Erina blush at the sudden want to taste the dish in front of her. Yukihira handed her the hot bowl along with a pair of chopsticks.

"Go on, try it."

Hesitant, Erina grabbed the bowl and chopsticks, her hands shaking at the thought of eating his food again. She took a little bit of rice, coated in the chicken soup, and a piece of egg and, still trembling, brought it to her delicate palate.

Soma watched her facial expressions with his undivided attention. He really didn't know what to expect, but he couldn't believe his eyes when tears started roll out of Erina's eyes.

"Wha-, what's wrong? Is it really that bad? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" he took the dish away from her and set it down on the floor beside their feet. "Tell me, what can I do? Do you want some water? Do I need to call Hisako over?"

She shook her head, looking at the floor, and fisted both of her hands in his Yukihira sweater, tears still flowing through her face. He dared to step closer to her, his right hand ghosting over her cheek, not knowing if he should comfort her the way he really wanted. When a sob shook her body though, his hesitance shattered. His hand caressed her face while the other grabbed, gently, her hip, pulling her towards his torso and embracing her body. The spoiled princess leaned into his touch, melting into his arms and resting her head on his shoulder, her erratic breath tickling his neck. She could feel his fingers across her cheek, causing a warm and comforting sensation she had never felt before. Said fingers went to trace the outline of her face, down her jaw and, finally, they tangled themselves in her long straight blonde hair. The hand on her hip though, moved across her lower back and pressed all her body even more against his, firmly keeping her there, in that position.

Concentrating on those sensations, all of them new to her, she began to calm down. Her breathing returned to normal and the tears began to dry on her cheeks, but she didn't move. She was far too comfortable to move.

"Nakiri?" Soma's soft voice, muffled by her hair, sounded loud surrounded by the silence of the night. "I'm sorry I made you taste it. I promise next time my cooking won't make you cry. It'll be better, you'll see."

"You are a fool," the boy could hardly hear her, but the words seemed to vibrate against his neck and sent a shiver down to his spine.

"Then… Tell me what happened?" Yukihira pulled his face away from her hair, where it was buried, and detangled her fingers from it as well, resting the palm of his hand against the side of her neck, feeling her pulse. His golden eyes looked down and locked with her purple ones with such intensity that the God's Tongue had to make an effort to maintain eye contact and not look away from him.

"It's just…" her eyes watered again, but she refused to let the tears fall this time.

"You can tell me, you know? You have me worried."

"Your dish. It tastes like… home."

She looked at the floor, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment. Silence followed her words, the only sound was the wind around them, ruffling the leaves of the nearby trees.

"Well, I'm glad then," he titled her chin up, so their eyes could lock again. "If my cooking brings you any sort of happiness… It's enough for me."

He smiled. His hold on her tightened, bringing their bodies even closer together.

She smiled. One of her hands went to his wild red hair, pulling his forehead against hers, noses touching, their breaths on each other's lips.

"It's delicious."


	2. Chapter 2

_'_ _No matter what, if you need me and I'm not with you, come and find me. I'll always be there.'_

That's what he had whispered that night, stroking her hair while she'd attempted to go to sleep after having said that his food was delicious. His fingers had ran meticulously through every golden hair, massaging her scalp along the way, lulling her to a deep sleep. That night she had dreamed of red spikes and bottomless golden orbs looking at her so intensely…

She ran her hand over the bannister of her balcony, remembering how he had turned up unexpectedly, and sighed. It was a cold night, and Erina was in her favorite pyjamas -simple sweatpants and a loose T-shirt, surprisingly- looking at the pitch black sky decorated with a sea of shinning stars. Another sleepless night. Oh, how she wished that he was there, comforting her with his warm presence against her back, whispering soothing words to calm her down, breathing steadily against her neck. Of course, the Tootsuki princess would never admit such things out loud.

 _'_ _No matter what, if you need me and I'm not with you, come and find me. I'll always be there.'_

He'd said that, hadn't he? Erina pondered her options. Go to the Polar Star dormitories and risk her pride, o go back to her bed for another night of useless turning and turning under the overly expensive duvets. The wind picked up, and she fought a shiver. God, it was cold. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply the freezing air of the night before making her decision.

She withdrew her hands from the bannister, wringing them together for warmth. Convincing herself that what she was about to do was a good idea, she went back inside her room and called the car service, demanding softly that someone picked her up. Putting on an expensive jacket to cover up her mundane T-shirt and some shoes, she went outside to meet her personal driver, who was, surprisingly, still awake and willing to drive her. Putting her hands in the pockets of her jacket with the intention of warming them up, she walked quietly across the mansion, listening to all sorts of sounds she never bothered to listen before. Someone was taking a shower, the water running through the pipes was a dead giveaway, and someone in the upper floor was running, his or her footsteps echoing almost silently. She hadn't realized before just how many people lived there -not just de Nakiri family, but all the staff and some of his grandfather's clients as well.

Finally, after a fifteen full minutes' walk, she stepped outside, shivering again when the cold and wind hit her bare face. The car was already waiting for her, the driver standing next to it dutifully and waiting for her instructions.

"To the Polar Star dormitories, please" she muttered, embarrassed but thankful all the same. "Thank you for driving me at this hour of the night" the almost inaudible whisper was barely caught by her driver, shock written in his features for a second before he schooled his expression, his face stoic again, not giving anything away.

"Of course, Nakiri-sama. It is no inconvenience" he opened the door for her and, when she was nestled comfortably in the back, got in the car and started to drive.

Almost twenty minutes later, she was standing in front of the Polar Star door.

"Shall I wait for your return, Nakiri-sama?" her driver enquired, standing next to the door of the car and watching her with concerned eyes.

"No, that will not be necessary. You may return."

He gave a curt nod in response and got inside the car swiftly. The engine roared, breaking the silence of the night, and the sound of some birds flapping their wings and flying away echoed through the forest near the grounds.

She tightened her fists inside the pockets of her jacket. Her mind fighting with her heart, her rational side opposing her feelings. There is no turning back now, she thought as she heard the car going away, no longer visible in the road. With a shaking hand she turned the doorknob and opened the door, flinching at the screeching sound the metal made, and went inside.

She sighed in relief at the warm temperature and rubbed her hands together, revealing in the comfortable and cozy atmosphere of the dark reception of the building. She started walking towards the stairs when a noise startled her. Looking towards the source of the noise, she noticed light coming from under a door, the kitchen's door to be precise.

Entering the enlightened room, she couldn't held the gasp of surprise that passed through her lips when she saw a messy Yukihira cooking -or trying to-, all types of pans and pots spread widely throughout the counters, ingredients half sliced and diced on cutting boards, half empty plates and dishes on the table.

The red-headed boy turned at the sound, and gave her his most brilliant smile, putting immediately one hand in his left-hand in his pocket and adopting a relaxed stance.

"Hey, Nakiri. What are you doing here? Fancy a dish?" he put the pan aside so it was no longer on the cooker and approached her.

"What in the world did you do to the kitchen? Would it kill you to be a little more organized?" the Tootsuki princess scolded him, her brow furrowed in concern when his smile dropped a little bit. That was not the reaction she expected. She opened her mouth but before Erina could ask about it, his smile returned where it was, almost as brightly as before, and he started speaking.

"Well, you know, I had this urge to cook and I didn't stop to organize. I just try to make this perfect dish, but it seems that tonight is not the night. I just keep screwing up" he chuckled, his right hand scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. "What about you, couldn't sleep?"

He approached her and ran her fingers down her arm, grabbing her hand and intertwining her fingers together. The red-head pulled the God's Tongue towards him, looking into her purple mesmerizing eyes.

"I just… Had a nightmare. The usual" she shrugged.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really…" looking at the floor she breathed deeply, finding courage within herself to keep talking. "It was about my father. The training he put me through when I was young… It just haunts me sometimes. If he were to return again some day…"

"I won't let him hurt you. Whatever he did, he won't get near you ever again" the intensity of his voice made her look back up, losing herself in those golden eyes that, in that precise moment, held so much passion, so much determination, so much… love. "Are you listening, Erina?" he raised his voice, just a little bit, and her heat skipped a beat when she heard her given name pass his lips. It sounded so sweet, so caring when he said like that, with his grave voice filled with fervor. "I promise you."

Her chest stilled for a moment, her breath caught at her lungs. Silence filled the room, his promise echoing in the large kitchen, the only sound his erratic breathing, as if he had been running moments before.

"I know," the whisper soothed his heart, calming his inhalations just a little bit, "I know you won't let anything hurt me. You'll always be here with me, right?" her hand creeped up his arm, detangling their fingers, and stroked softly the red hair at the base of his neck. He sighed, eyes half open but not losing the intense stare.

"Always. Never doubt that for a second" he rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. Soma put his hand on her waist, bringing her body closer to his, and inhaled her natural perfume that seemed to be so addictive. They stood still, just feeling the other's presence, calming down and revealing in each other's warmth. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he opened his eyes again, studying the beautiful face resting against his. "Come, let me clean this up a let's go to bed."

Yukihira almost laughed at the blush the went up her neck and onto her cheeks but, fortunately, he did not comment on it. God knows what his princess would have done to him if he had. He began, quickly and effectively, to clean all the pans, pots and utensils he had gotten dirty in the previous hours. The God's Tongue sat down on a chair and put her head on the table, resting for a bit and observing the young man as he moved around the kitchen, cleaning and organizing as fast as he could so they could go back to sleep. Despite Soma's speed at clearing the kitchen, she soon found herself sleeping on the table, dreaming about bowls of rice and delicious food, along with warm kisses across her neck that belonged to perfect lips that teased her mercilessly.

"Erina. Come one, time to go sleep in a real bed" his whisper woke her up, but she was so tired she barely opened her eyes. Warm hands pulled at her arms, standing her up. Her whimper of protest went ignored as Yukihira pulled her against his body, half carrying her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

When they reached his room, he pulled the covers down and sat her in the bed. With her head resting on his shoulder, Yukihira maneuvered the Tootsuki princess so he could get her out of the jacket she still wore. She must be burning, he thought, wondering why she hadn't taken it off.

An incoherent mumble got out of Erina's mouth, something along the lines of 'you're trying to get me naked, pervert' and 'I don't sleep with commoners', but he just smiled and laid her down, pulling the covers of his bed all the way up and making sure she wasn't cold at all.

Just like that night, he stroked her stunning blond hair, feeling its softness and playing with the strands. Sat cross-legged on the floor, counting the breaths his God's Tongue made, wondering how embarrassed and in denial would she be the day after when she woke up. With reluctance he stood up and withdrew his hand from her head, grabbing his desk chair carefully and bringing it next to the bed. The red-head sat down and stared at the beauty currently occupying her bed, wondering how could he be so lucky to have her, even though he really didn't know where they stood at the moment. Just having her there, though, calmed him down enough to sleep and, this time, peacefully.

The sun shining through the window woke her up, eliciting a groan deep in her throat and making her roll aways, seeking the darkest corner of the bed. Taking a deep breath, though, she stilled, smelling the masculine perfume that invaded her nostrils and that it seemed to be all around her. Her hands went over the softs sheets, and she tried to remember how she got there, in that soft and perfect bed where she had no nightmares. Her eyes finally opened and she scanned the room, flashbacks from the night before coming to the front of her mind, a blush already creeping up her cheeks, burning in embarrassment. Slowly, Erina sat up, wincing at the loss of warmth when the covers went down her body and the cold air bit at her hands and arms uncovered by her T-shirt. Purple eyes searched for something, particularly someone, and it wasn't long before she found him.

Sitting in an awkward position on a chair next to the bed, his neck on a weird angle that was sure to hurt, a lot, when he woke up, was Yukihira Soma, the one who put her to bed and comforted until she was deeply under sleep. Her lips quirked in a tiny smile seconds before her face hardened, a furrowed brow adorning her forehead.

His hand was burned. Deep red angry marks went from his index and middle finger to the center of his hand. Even though she questioned his ability, quite often in fact, she knew he would never burn himself while cooking. Something must have happened. And why in the world did he not get it treated? The Tootsuki Princess sighed, she really couldn't understand him sometimes. Standing up from the bed, she got out of his bedroom and went into the bathroom, where she knew that Fumio-san kept the emergency kits. Rummaging through it, she quickly grabbed the burn cream and some bandages to wrap his hand in and returned to the bedroom.

"Yukihira, come one, wake up. It's already morning" she shook him awake, cringing at the face he did when he moved his stiff neck from that position, barely holding in a gasp of pain.

"Erina" he smiled widely. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" the red-head stood up, massaging his back with his right hand, the burned one limp against his side.

"Yes. Thank you" she narrowed her eyes, wondering if he was ever going to tell her had she not found out about it. "You burned your hand."

His smile dropped.

"Ah, yes, just a little accident, really. I wasn't really being careful…" he trailed off, staring at his damaged hand without really seeing it.

"And you didn't think to treat it? You really are a fool, Yukihira" she muttered under her breath, before she sat him down on the bed. Pushing the chair he previously had occupied closer, she grabbed her wrist and turned her hand around, assessing the damage. "The burns are deep, but not alarming enough to go to the hospital. Applying cream, rigorously," she emphasized "for a few days should be enough for them to heal properly. You may have some scars, though, because you left them untreated so long."

"That's okay. You don't need to do it, I can apply it myself" he said when the God's Tongue started opening the tub of cream.

"Shut up. I'm doing this for you, and no complaints or arguments, okay?" her offended -but not really offended- tone made him smile, although softly. "Care to explain what happened?" she started to apply the white cream with soft touches, but Yukihira could not help de hiss that escaped through his clenched teeth at the first contact.

"I already told you, I just wasn't being all that careful las night."

"And you really expect me to believe that? Don't take me for a fool, Yukihira Soma. If you don't want to tell me, just say so, but don't lie to me. Ever" her purple eyes fixed on his, her hands still over his, the tension of the moment getting to them both.

Soma was the first one to break their eye connection, looking at a vague spot on the floor, turning his head to the right. She sighed, knowing he would not open up to her, at least not today, and carried on with her task.

"I'm… I'm sorry" his whispered apology made her stop her movements again, looking up at him in wonder. Since when did Yukihira apologize? "I'm just not ready to tell you. Not yet."

"That's okay" her soft voice reached his ears and he could breathe again. "whenever you are ready, I will be here."

"I know. Just like I will."

She finished up, wrapping his hand in a white bandage.

"Try not to cook for the next two days, okay? You don't want to strain you hand more than it has already been" her tone condescending, but the concern was definitely in there.

"Thank you. Really, you don't know how much this means to me" he held up his hand, staring at the bandages in wonder before he pulled her from the chair and sat her down next to her, on the bed.

Yukihira, feeling bold, dropped his head onto her shoulder and breathed deeply before pressing his lips gently on her perfectly soft skin. A shiver ran through Erina's spine while she ran her hand through the red spikes before her eyes and buried her face in them. Another calloused hand moved over the other side of the Tootsuki Princess neck, caressing it as if it was the most precious thing in the world, while his lips ghosted up and down her neck and finally, planting a more firm kissed on her cheek. They rested their foreheads together, revealing in the morning sun that was cast over them.

"Soma" she sighed, eyes closed, still caressing his hair. "Don't ever leave me" the whisper was loud, breaking the silence and joining their erratic breaths to the sound of the bedroom.

"Never. I'll always be here."


	3. Chapter 3

He sat on the bed, staring at his bandaged hand in awe. His palm burnt just a little, a tingling sensation slightly uncomfortable but definitely bearable. He could still remember the blinding pain in his hand when he had grabbed the scalding hot frying pan. Last night had definitely been bad. Every year he told himself that he was going to be better, that he was going to move on and, little by little, not feel this consuming agony inside his chest that threatened to rip his heart and lungs out, to be known to the world and change him forever.

He would never allow that, though. He would not be changed.

Not when nightmares plagued him in the dark of the night and not when he was so desperate, so lost in his pain and memories that he burnt himself. And definitely not when the blonde that cared for him, in her own weird and unconventional way, asked him about. He could not tell her.

Because he could not bear to lose her.

Standing up, he began to tidy up his bedroom, embarrassed that the Tootsuki Princess had seen in such state. He made the bed, threw his dirty clothes –that were in the floor– in the laundry basket next to his door and put all the shoes –obviously sprawled throughout the room – in his closet. After he organized all his things, he went downstairs, wondering what the God's Tongue was doing.

Yukihira smiled, remembering the exact moment she had realized she had no clothes other than the loose T-shirt and sweatpants, how her beautiful cheeks had tinted red and her purple eyes had widened in mortification. How she had buried her face in the palms of her hands and spluttered some words –something like 'stupid Yukihira', 'this is your fault' and 'please somebody kill me know'. Holding the laughter that had threatened to escape his lips, he had gone to Megumi's bedroom and knocked softly, really wishing that the female Polar Star resident would not make a big deal out of what was about to ask.

 _"_ _Soma-kun" she smiled, opening her door. "Good morning."_

 _"_ _Hey, Megumi, can I ask you a favor?" he wore a sheepish smile and a blush on his cheeks, trying not to be too embarrassed about what he was to ask. "Nakiri came here last night… Don't ask," he pleaded when he saw her brow furrowed and her mouth already opened to enquire about it, "she came with her pyjamas and I was wondering if you would lend her something to wear, please."_

 _"_ _Sure, but is she alright?" she inquired, really concerned about the situation. Megumi didn't really know the other girl, but she didn't seem like the type of person that sought comfort in others. At least not in such blatant and obvious ways, so something must've happened._

 _"_ _Yes, she just… needed some company last night. Don't worry, everything's fine."_

 _Megumi just nodded – although her frown didn't leave her face, not completely –, going inside her room to grab a white shirt and a cute deep blue short skirt. She also grabbed some underwear, putting it in between the two other garments so Yukihira couldn't see it._

 _"_ _Here. Let me know if she wants something else or it just doesn't fit, okay?" she handed him the clothes, careful that he wasn't able to see the underwear, her face flushed at the mere thought of he looking at it._

 _"_ _Sure, thank you. Really," his smile widened._

He reached the stairs. His uninjured hand on the bannister, he went down to the kitchens to make breakfast. Surprisingly, the God's Tongue was already there and… cooking? His eyebrows shot up, almost disappearing under the red spikes that leaned over his forehead.

She was standing in front of the cooker, her face calm and her purple eyes focused on the pan she was holding. She was moving gracefully, never wavering, never hesitating, never doubting – a wonderful smell impregnated the air around them as she went on and threw some spices on the pan, the crisping sound of something being fried reached his ears.

As he watched her, Yukihira realized he never saw her cooking. Of course, he went to her shokugekis, but this was the real her. This was where she was most comfortable at, where she was really home. Without anyone looming over her having expectations, without the pressure of being the Tootsuki Princess, just free to cook whatever she wanted whenever she wanted and, most importantly, for whomever she wanted.

He smiled taking in the beauty of her movements and the softness of her face – which was not a usual occurrence – and approached her slowly from behind. Looking over her shoulder, he saw some eggs on the pan in the process of being scrambled. Golden orbs twinkled in amusement – so the princess wasn't so uptight after all, not if she was cooking what was considered 'commoner's food'.

"Smells good." His deep voice just above her ear sent tingles up her spine, which she totally ignored. She leaned against his chest, internally sighing at the smoothness and firmness of his body.

"What did you expect?" she said in a harsh voice and offended tone. Nakiri turned her head and glared, hard.

His smile widened.

"It was just an observation." Putting his hands around her hips, he pressed more firmly against her. He dropped his head onto her neck, just like that morning, and inhaled her unique scent. His chin comfortably resting where her neck met her shoulder, he continued watching her cook. It was really a magnificent and mesmerizing view.

"Well, refrain from doing them next time."

"So…" he started just after a few seconds of comfortable silence, "you gonna share?" A grin stretched his lips when he heard her snort – in a very unladylike manner, for that matter.

"Did you really think I would be able to eat all of this by myself, you idiot?" Ah, his fierce and ruthless Erina was back and staying, it seemed.

"You know, it's such an honour having the Tootsuki Princess cook just for me, a mere commoner," he tried to muffle his laugh without success until he felt her body stiffen under his hands.

"Don't call me that," she whispered in a low voice.

His chest tightened and his breathing stopped, regret clawing at his lungs. The bandaged hand moved across her stomach and held her there strongly against him. The sorrow invading his guts lessened a little when he heard her relieved sigh, but that didn't stop the pain and anger he felt. How he wished he could free her from that life of fame and overwhelming pressure. Soma just wanted to take her away from Tootsuki, from the reporters, from the world famous chefs, away from it all – and keep her somewhere she could be herself, where she could cook at her leisure and she would just… be happy. That's what he desired the most, he just wanted her to be free.

"Okay," that's all he could answer after swallowing the lump in his throat, his fury barely contained – it was bubbling just under his skin, screaming to get out, to manifest itself. One day, he promised himself. One day I will free her.

"Don't get used to it, because I have no intention of cooking for you. Ever again" she answered with a superior tone, moving away from him slightly to put the food on the plates – which had been previously placed on the counter near the cooker.

Once Erina finished putting together both dishes he grabbed them and put them on the table so that they would be sitting next to each other. Just before they sat down, Megumi entered the kitchen, a sad smile adorning her face the moment she saw the pair work so coordinated.

"Good morning," Megumi greeted them brightly and warmly and made her way towards the cupboards to take some ingredients in order to make breakfast.

"Good morning, Tadoroko-san," Erina was the first to respond. "I appreciate you lending me some clothes, be assured that they will be returned to you as soon as possible." She blushed. Hard.

If Yukihira didn't know any better he would've sworn that there was steam coming out of her overly red and heated cheeks.

"Oh, please, don't hurry on my account. And besides, it's Megumi please."

"Very well then, call me Erina." Megumi nodded in her direction, flashing her a thankful smile. Truth be told, she was still a little intimidated by the God's Tongue. She knew she shouldn't be, but she couldn't help it. "If you want, Megumi, there's some breakfast left in that pan. It's still hot, you're welcome to eat it."

"Re-really?" Tadoroko's eyes widened comically.

"Of course, if not it's going to waste." Nakiri smiled softly at the gobsmacked face before her and, consequently, Yukihira's jaw dropped in shock. She was smiling _encouragingly_ at someone in hope she would eat the food she prepared. She, Nakiri Erina, the most talented – for de the moment – of her generation but also the most ruthless and cold there was.

"Thank you very much. Really, thank you," the blue-haired girl went as far as bowing her head before grabbing the pan and serving herself.

"No need for that, it has been no inconvenience."

"Who are you and what have you done with Nakiri?" exploded Yukihira finally getting over his shock.

"You know, just because you're an insufferable and exasperating brat and I can't stand you doesn't mean that I can be nice to other people!" Yukihira burst out laughing as he saw the pout on her face. "Just eat your food, you moron, and stop pestering me!" she barked.

When Megumi saw the God's Tongue huff and sit down before starting to shove – how could she do it so gracefully? – the food into her mouth, she sat down on the chair in front of them and proceeded to eat.

It was bliss. There were no words to describe the pleasure dancing in her taste buds – oh how the egg melted so perfectly against the roof of her mouth, how the spices battled against each other so beautifully, creating a symphony of flavours that sent her to heaven. And… did she taste something sweet? It was just barely there, she could've just imagined it but…

"Erina, this is… I can't describe how good this is!" Megumi gushed at the blonde. "Did you put something sweet in the eggs?"

"Of course, just a drop of honey. It enhances the flavour of all the spices put together" she said impressed that Megumi detected that little detail.

The God's Tongue turned to look at the insufferable idiot to find him frozen over the dish, his chopping sticks in the air and the golden eyes unfocused.

"What happened, Yukihira, my food is too refined for your tastes?" the blonde scorned.

That seemed to break his trance, and his head snapped up to look wildly at the two girls.

"Something like that, I'm not really used to gourmet food, you know," the joke fell empty and the air became tense as the girls noticed that something was wrong. "But really, this is great and it works so well. Not that I expected anything less from your talented hands, of course." His eyes looked less wild than before, but there was a sadness in them, so deep and so well hidden that made Erina's heart ache.

Before she could say something about it, though, he resumed eating with a straining smile on his face. The efforts he was making to appear normal and happy obviously told her that she shouldn't push the issue, no matter how much she wanted to.

None of the three said anything else, each one of them eating their breakfast silently. Before long, Erina was finished, the blue-haired still savouring her food and making the most out of the experience – and Yukihira eating painfully slow, as if he had a physical impediment to eat her food. If the Tootsuki Princess wasn't so confident about her cooking abilities she would've been offended at his lack of enthusiasm. Luckily, that wasn't the case – so there was no reason to blow up the building for the lack of respect he blatantly showed.

"Yukihira, I need to send some emails and obviously didn't bring my phone, is there something where I can do it?"

"Sure, I have a laptop in my room. You can use that. There's no password, so just turn it on."

"Very well." She went to take her plate to the sink with every intention of washing it, but a hand shot up and grabbed gently her wrist.

"Don't worry about, I'll clean up. It's the least I could do seeing as you cooked," he said softly while giving her a small genuine smile.

Erina could only nod before she went upstairs towards his room, an air of confidence around her, walking as if she owned the place – which she actually did.

Before long she found herself staring at the laptop screen with her fingers paralyzed on the keyboard, reading over and over the same sentence as it resounded in her brain. She could not believe it. That just wasn't happening, it was not possible. Her breath sped up, panic installed in her chest making the lack of oxygen even worse. She tried to draw a deep breath, but it wasn't working and she began to feel lightheaded, the world spinning around her and her fingers trembling in shock.

"Erina!" the God's Tongue barely heard the shout that went her way, but she registered the warm soothing touch of a hand against hers. "Hey, look at me, look into my eyes."

Her vision shifted and a pair of the most striking golden eyes came into her view. Clutching his uninjured hand as if it was her lifeline, Erina began to calm down while she listened to his instructions in breathing.

"Tell me what's wrong," he pleaded, "I can't help you if I don't know the problem. C'mon, you're worrying me here, Erina."

Jus hearing the name escape his lips was enough to make her trust him with this.

"My father… is returning to Tootsuki."


	4. Chapter 4

A hand reached out and felt the covers, looking for something warm that should have been there. It was pitch black outside, the bedroom covered in moving shadows from the trees outside. Silence reigned, surprisingly -the only thing barely audible her breath. Her head was lifted from the pillow it had been buried in, the golden hair wild and untamed covering a side of her face, only one purple iris visible, shinning softly against the dim light produced by the moon high in the sky that soaked the room. She spotted a silhouette leaning against her balcony, shoulders hunched and defeated -his shadow almost reaching the king-sized bed- and spiky red hair contrasting with the darkness of the forest before him. Her brow furrowed. Her confusion clear on her eyes, which were full of worry. This time, though, not for herself. For him. For the boy that had agreed to hold her while she slept through the night so the nightmares went away; for the boy that had made her say 'delicious' that fateful night that was the beginning of their unconventional friendship. Because she couldn't deny that their interactions were not those of a normal friendship. Because she knew, deep in her heart -buried under layers and layers of confusing emotions and denial- that this was progressing towards something much more great. Something that scared her but, at the same time, made her heartbeat go wild with thrill with just a thought. Because leaning on him, trusting him, letting herself need him was the scariest thing she had ever done.

She ran a finger through her hair, securing her long locks behind her ear so she could see more clearly. Slowly, she got up while rubbing the remaining sleep out of her eyes and bent down to grab a sweatshirt from the floor after a shiver had ran through her body and goose bumps had appeared on her bare skin. With the sweatshirt on, she dragged her feet -the sole of them making contact with the stone cold marble floor- along the bedroom until she was just behind him. His shoulders going slightly rigid with tension gave him away -he was already aware of her presence. She looked conflicted. Her hands suffered a feeble tremble, as if physically fighting within herself, a battle going on inside her head. Tense seconds passed. Nobody moved, the forest went quieter, the wind stopped blowing. She trusted her instinct, she went with her gut, she acted and, for once, didn't overthink it. Soft arms wrapped around his torso and a face pressed against his back, a sharp inhalation of his scent was heard amidst the overwhelming silence. The arms tightened, and her body pushed closer to his, as if it wanted to remember his shape, the tenseness of his muscles, the position of his shoulders. Her cheek was radiating the warmth he lacked -having stood there, motionless, for... close to an hour already? He had lost any sense of time long ago.

"You 'kay?" the mumbled words against his scapula relaxed him, just a bit, just enough for her to notice.

"Yeah, just… couldn't sleep" his hand moved to cover hers and squeezed her fingers reassuringly. "I didn't mean to wake you up. Sorry" his fingers danced in between hers, caressing her skin carefully, seeking warmth and comfort and closeness.

"Idiot" she scoffed softly. "Do you think I require you presence just to sleep, commoner?"

The corner of his lips turned, just slightly, upwards, a ghost of a smile gracing his obscure face. Because there had been a time that she had meant those words, she had believed them. Now, though, now she liked to tease him about it in a friendly banter. He perfectly knew she didn't need him -Erina was used to being on her own, to being independent, and she liked that way- but in moments like these, he knew that she wanted to need him. She wanted him to hold her, to comfort her, to reassure her that he was always going to be there, no matter what. And that, that made his breath catch on his lungs, stuck there, preventing him from inhaling. His heart seemed to come out of his chest, so full of feelings that it was going to explode, his torso hurting from the intensity of it all. And the urge to never let her go so strong it pained him.

"Of course not, oh Queen of Cooking" he teased bad.

"Shut up" the words were muffled at his back, but he could already feel the smile in them.

A comfortable silence settled between the pair, wrapping them up in a nice bubble of content that neither were willing to break. Minutes passed, Erina's hand roamed his torso before stopping on his heart, feeling his heartbeat under her palm, revelling in the grounding the rhythmic pulsations gave her.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on with you?" she slipped under his arm -that was still holding the bannister- so she could look him in the eyes. Pressing her body against his, seeking for warmth now that the wind hit her back, she hugged him fiercely, heads almost touching. "Or do I have to guess?"

A deep sigh escaped him. It was her. She was what prevented him to sleep. The worry nagged at him, eating his insides, trapping his chest in fear, clawing at his gut.

"I'm just.. nervous, you know. For tomorrow" he whispered.

This time it was her that sighed. She burrowed her face in his neck, nuzzling her nose deep in his skin and smiling when she felt him shiver -not from the cold, obviously.

"I'm sorry, I never should have let you get involved."

"Never say that. Never again" his fierce voice made her flinch, realizing that she had made a mistake in saying that. "Do you know how worried I would be if I didn't know what is going on with you? Hell, forget the worry, I would be desperate and anxious and… I don't even know how to describe it" a sad sarcastic chuckle escaped his lips. "Don't ever think of letting me out of this. I will do anything, _anything_ -you hear me?- for you."

"And that's precisely what worries me!" she exclaimed in retaliation. "You don't seem to care about anything else, I haven't seen you cook since I received that email, you're likely to do something really stupid and it won't end well!"

"You don't have to worry about me, Erina…" he got interrupted by one of her hands slapping repeatedly his arm, her body no longer in his arms.

"You. Stupid. Boy!" each word was accompanied with a slap, her voice barely escaping through her gritted teeth.

"Hey, stop hitting me!" he complained.

"I will when I knock some sense into you, foolish commoner!" another slap was received for his part.

He grabbed her hands, ultimately stopping her from inflicting more harm to one of his arms, and drew away from her -the cold air of the night filling the void between them.

"Don't you understand?" she whispered when she was calm enough to rationalize her thoughts. "I don't want to lose you, damn it. What I want is to keep you with me. And I can't do that if… if you just don't care about yourself! Don't you understand?!" the God's Tongue pleaded, embarrassment flushed her cheeks, which went red in fractions of seconds. The once white porcelain skin of her face now tinted deep crimson.

"Erina" a shiver went through her body at the sound of her name coming out of his lips. "Do you remember what I promised you?" she nodded. "Then… let me be there for you. Don't ask me to stay with and do nothing; don't ask me to watch you go through this when there's something I can do to prevent it. Because I won't" his grip on her hands went tighter, almost shaking, trying to make her understand.

Something in his eyes stopped her from refusing his demands. She had never seen a look so haunted, so pained, so… tortured. Deep in that golden irises, something was hiding, something that she couldn't really decipher but it made her heart ache and scream in agony. Suddenly she remembered that night when she had sought him out, when she had gone over to the Polar Star Dormitories just to have him comfort her because she just hadn't been able to sleep. ' _I'm no ready to tell you yet_ '. That's what he had said, not looking at her eyes in what she had deemed as… shame? It was a possibility, but she wasn't all that sure about it.

She dropped her head onto is collarbone, effectively nearing their bodies once again, almost touching.

"Tomorrow," he started talking more calmly "you will not be alone. If you have to face him, if you have to face your father, I will be by your side no matter what happens".

"Soma…" she whispered. Erina put her arms around him and hugged his as if he was his lifeline. "Thank you" her other protests already forgotten. Because when she saw that wild look of pain and a hint of desperation on his face she knew she couldn't let him out of this. It seemed that he _needed_ to be there for her, to comfort her, to even protect her from harm.

And Erina couldn't understand it. Of course, up to a certain degree she could, but in this case it was something more, something deep and desperate and frantic. She could ask him about but the God's Tongue already knew what his response would be. Because to the rest of world, he might seem as an open-hearted happy man with no troubles, but Erina knew the truth. In barely two weeks since that fateful night in which -in a moment of weakness of course- she had declared that his food was delicious, she got to know him. The real him, not the persona he displayed to the outside world. And much to her surprise, there was more -much more- to him than what it met the eye.

Subconsciously, she was beginning to realize that maybe, just maybe, he was just as broken as she was. However, she couldn't admit it to herself. Because who wanted another person to suffer the same feelings of helplessness and frustration and pain and loneliness she had experienced?

Soma felt her shiver, the stillness of their bodies making them grow even colder.

"Let's go to bed" it was a barely audible whisper, but she heard it clearly. The God's Tongue nodded against him but made no indication to move, so he gathered his arms around her and manoeuvred her in order to have her leaning on his side instead of on his front. One arm around her waist, the red head guided her back to the bedroom and laid her down next to him, both of them under the covers and clutching each other tightly to fight of the freezing cold installed deep in their bones.

Erina's head rested on his chest, listening closely to his heartbeat. Suddenly, she grabbed his left hand and put it in front of her face, looking closely at it. Faint white lines ran up his palm to his index and middle fingers. That were the only scars that had remained from the burn on his hand.

"It's almost gone already."

"Yes. But they won't fade anymore, they'll remain like this" he dropped his scarred hand to her face and delighted himself with the soft skin of her cheek under his fingertips.

"How do you know? Maybe if you keep applying burning cream, in a few weeks they'll complete go away" Erina felt him tense under her body. "Soma?" she looked at him, his eyes haunted again.

"Trust me, I know" the words echoed in the silent bedroom even though there weren't even a whisper, just a ghost of syllables flowing out of his mouth hesitantly.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to" the Tootsuki Princess tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, but it was difficult. Thinking he didn't trust enough to tell her what was bothering him made her heart fill with ache. She had to remind herself, though, that neither did she spill her most darkest secrets to him -what happened with her father only mentioned, but she had never gone into detail. The only thing she had told him was that their relationship was practically non-existent due to her childhood, in which he had been a horrible man and father.

"I know."

The hand caressing her cheek went away and pulled the collar of his T-shirt down. On his left shoulder, the same white scars appeared. These ones, though, weren't thin. They were messy and deep, and they ran down his pectoral and side in a uncontrollable pattern from what she could see. Some of them ran down his left arm, but she knew they didn't reach his hand, otherwise they would've been exposed every time he had rolled his sleeves up. Slowly and carefully, she lifted a hand a traced them, never going further than what he had exposed to her. She changed her position and practically put herself on top of him, their legs intertwined.

He had closed his eyes moments before so he could feel intensely her hand caressing the skin that hadn't been cared for in years -the only time his burns were touched was when he showered. He felt her move and almost grunted at having, suddenly, her weight on him, but he wasn't about to complain anytime soon. His right hand reached blindly for her and found her blonde honey-scented hair. Running his fingers through it, he allowed himself to relax and enjoy the attention she was giving him. The red head could finally breath easily. All this time he had spent worrying about the scars now seemed useless, but his subconscious couldn't help but be relieved that she hadn't turned away with a look of disgust on her face.

Because it was the first time he willingly showed them to anyone.

His eyes shot open at the feel of tender, soft lips making contact with the scarred skin on his chest. He looked down only to witness Erina press his lips against the ugly scars, her eyes closed. Too soon, though, only seconds later, she settled her head on the centre of his chest again and deeply inhaled.

"Thank you for trusting me" the mumbled words vibrated on his body and the red head was left breathless when he felt her hand come to rest on his bare marred skin, under his T-shirt.

"Always."


	5. Chapter 5

"Save my granddaughter. I'm begging you. Save Erina."

Yukihira Soma stood in front of a dark wood desk with his golden eyes staring hardly and passively at the former headmaster of the Tootsuki Academy.

"How could you let this happen?" his low growl echoed thorough the office and the red head slapped his hands on the table, fury rolling off him in waves. "For what I gathered, you knew. You fucking knew that he would be back one day, for her!"

"Calm down" Nakiri Senzaemon would not be intimidated by an emotional teenager. "Do not judge before knowing the whole story."

Yukihira pinched his brow, his head bowed and eyes clenched shut. Teeth gritted together making his angular jaw more prominent. Fighting the urge to storm out and go find Erina, he forced himself to take deep breaths in an effort to soothe his rage. A rage that was threatening to consume him and blind him and kill him. Because he could still hear his words, echoing inside his head, a whisper that never left his thoughts. ' _No matter how much you try to escape, I will always find you, my dear Erina_ '. Nakiri Azami had said that with such a smile on his face that shivers had ran down his spine, making Yukihira's body freeze.

"Then tell me the story" he muttered angrily. "Tell me what was more important than protecting your granddaughter from that… man" Yukihira spat the words as if it physically hurt him to say them.

And the elder man told him everything.

Thirty minutes later, Yukihira Soma was seated on a chair before the former headmaster, head in his hands and fingers grabbing forcefully -to the point of pain- his red spikes of hair.

"How much time… how many years did she endure that training?" his voice was hoarse from the lack of use, his eyes fixed on the floor while desperation flooded through his system.

"From what little she told me… A little more than a year before I realized and expelled him from the family and Tootsuki. But it was enough. She was never the same from that moment onwards" the elder Nakiri sighed, feeling suddenly very old and tired, his jovial energy leaving him. "Young Soma, this last weeks… Her smile returned. I have not seen my granddaughter wear a genuine smile since before her father came for her. And I know it has to do with you. So please, I'm begging you to help her. To do the job I can no longer do by myself now."

Soma lifted his head slowly, making eye contact with the other man, eyes cold and unfeeling. The golden orbs that had held so much life and emotion were now dull, lifeless, inert. Senzaemon's whole body froze and his hands gripped the ends of arms chair tightly, the wood splicing under his brute pressure.

"I swear" only a whisper was heard amongst the office, the air pressure suffocating both men, "he will not touch her."

Senzaemon could only look at the young man stunned, frozen in place, dreading what he was about to do. That look… he had seen that look before; on a young boy, a long time ago, fighting like a demon in the kitchen and devastating everyone with his aggressive cooking. Before he could say anything about, though, the red headed boy stood up and got out of the office before he could even blink.

Time passed, and the former headmaster couldn't move from his chair. The look on his face, the coldness and yet fierceness reflected on his golden eyes, his hoarse whisper… Everything was swimming at once at his head, unable to process anything properly. Fear installed itself deep in the old man's gut, because underneath that whisper there had been a loud cry of rage coming from someone who, judging what had just transpired in that same room, didn't have anything to lose.

* * *

 _'_ _No matter how much you try to escape, I will always find you, my dear Erina_ '. He couldn't stop hearing it. His voice just wouldn't leave his head. With his fists tightly balled, he turned the corners of the corridors of the Nakiri mansion without thinking, trusting his instinct to navigate throughout the ridiculously enormous building. Before he even realized it, he was slamming Erina's bedroom door open.

"Yukihira" a startled gasp came from his left, where the God's Tongue was taking clothes out of her walk-in closet.

"Erina" he exhaled. "What are you doing?" he looked at the suitcase laid across her king-sized bed. "You're not leaving. No. Tootsuki is your home, you can't leave!" in mere seconds the red head was in front of her and had grabbed her arms to slightly shake her in a frenzy pleading.

"Soma" she took a hold of his hands and entangled their fingers together, "calm down. I'm not leaving Tootsuki, just this house" a blush covered her previously death-like pale cheeks. "If you'll have me at the Polar Star Dormitories, of course" her beautiful purple eyes looked down unable to conceal her embarrassment.

Before he could even think about his arms were around her squeezing midsection tightly and inhaled the soft scent of her flowery blonde perfect hair.

"Of course we'll have you, dumbass" a low chuckle escaped his lips and vibrated against her neck. A slap was delivered to his arm followed by a huff of indignation, but she leaned into his touch and modelled her body against his. "C'mon, let me help you."

Together they put some of her clothes in two different gigantic suitcases -and of course, it wasn't even the half of her wardrobe- and took a car to the dormitories.

They arrived at the old building thirty minutes later, Yukihira grabbing her suitcases from the trunk of the car before grabbing her hand and tugging her towards the doors.

"You know, you're lucky," he said with a grin on his lips "Fumio-san won't make pass the test to let you in."

"Of course not, don't you know who I am?" she snorted in an unladylike manner. "What I wonder is, though, how you made it through the test with that poor skills of yours…" a devil smirk appeared on the God's Tongue face as she teased him.

"Oi!" he turned around and pulled her hand "I'll have you know that I made an amazing hamburger with the leftovers! That deserves some credit!" he whined while opening the door. "Hello! Anybody here?"

"Idiot, don't shout so loudly!" the blonde reprimanded him.

"Oh hello Soma, Nakiri-san."

A loud shriek came from the Tootsuki Princess, Soma spinning around wildly in a fright just in time to see Isshiki's head popping out of the door frame from the kitchen.

"Isshiki-senpai, you've got to stop doing that!" exclaimed Soma. "And for God's sake, put on clothes under that apron!"

A hearty laugh escaped from the older student's lips. "Well, if you're hungry I'm making lunch with some _koji_ Ryoko-san made last week."

"Lunch? It's only 9:30 AM" a confused frown made its way to the God Tongue's brow.

"Oh, Nakiri-san, it's never too early to eat…" with that, the second year student went back to the kitchen whistling to himself.

"Hey! Where's Fumio-san?" the red head called after Isshiki.

"Looking for me, Yukihira?" the petite woman appeared from the stairs, looking at both teenagers in wonder and curiosity. "Oh, Nakiri-san, welcome."

"Fumio-san! I've been looking for you for ages now" the boy whined.

"Don't be a fool, Yukihira, I heard you come in – you woke up the whole neighborhood" the older woman snapped and slapped the boy on the back of his head. "Well, and what do we have here?" she raised an eyebrow upon sighting the two enormous suitcases both teens were dragging behind them.

"Fumio-san," started the Erina "I would appreciate it if I could stay here for the time being."

The Tootsuki Princess bowed her head at the older woman in respect, requiring permission to stay in the building.

"What happened to your mansion, Nakiri-san?" Fumio inquired, her tone without traces of malice or accusation, just mildly curious.

"Nakiri Azami came back, Fumio-san. He's the new headmaster of the school."

Fumio pursed her lips and her brow furrowed in a grimace. "Well, okay then, You'll have the room right across Yukihira's, I hope you have no problem with that arrangement?"

Both students blushed scarlets, looking everywhere but at the woman.

"That room will suffice" the clipped tone of Erina's voice gave away the mortification she was feeling.

"Perfect. Yukihira, c'mon, move!" she brought him out of his awkward stupor with another slap at the back of his head. "Show Nakiri-san to her new room and help her with her things!" and with that order she stepped out of the building.

A minute of silence passed between the blond and the red head, the only sound audible the clanking of some pans coming from the kitchen, before he spoke.

"C'mon, let me show you your new room" with a slight smile he grabbed both suitcases and began struggling to take them upstairs. "What did you put in here, your whole house or something?"

"Of course not, idiot!" she huffed indignantly. "Just the essentials!"

"Well, I could survive in the jungle for three months with your 'just the essentials'!"

"That's just because you live like a barbarian!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Are you two behaving like children up there?!" Fumio's voice reached them. "Yukihira leave her alone or I'll come up here and you won't like! And Nakiri-san, you won't be exempt from punishment either, no matter who you are!"

Both of them gulped loudly, shutting their moths instantly at the threat. When they heard the woman's steps moving away, they breathed in relief, looking at each other. Suddenly, she laughed, a beautiful sound full of amusement, peacefulness and happiness. Yukihira smiled amazed at her, head thrown back and laughing without a care in the world. He let that sound wrap him, he drowned himself in her happiness, he silently vowed to keep her laughing for the rest of his life.

"You know, she gives the worst punishments" he also laughed, happy to be sharing this peaceful moment with her.

They stood in front of her room, number 303, breathing heavily and smiling at each other, savoring the unexpected moment before she reached for the doorknob and went into her new home. The room wasn't ugly per se, just utterly bare. It had a comfortable bed against the wall and some bookshelves along the same wall, pretty much like Soma's room. A nice, big desk just below the window – in which you could see all the gardens of the dorm. It was a beautiful sight.

"I know compared to what you had it isn't much, but…"

"Don't be ridiculous" she interrupted him. "It's a big room with a nice view, and soon I'll decorate it to my liking, it's perfect."

"Okay then, just don't overdo it with the pink, all right?" his teasing tone had her blushing for the second time that day.

"Shut up" she retorted.

"Will you need help with putting all of these away?" Soma gestured the two suitcases still in the corridor.

"No, it's okay. Just go do whatever do you on your Saturdays -probably something utterly stupid-" that last part she murmured under her breath, "and I'll organize everything."

"Yeah, okay. I'll see you later, then."

"Sure."

The awkward goodbye didn't make them smile less, both of them went on with stupid grins on their faces all day.

The rest of the day was uneventful, the only nerve-wracking thing was to tell the other residents of the dorm that Erina was there to stay. They did it at lunch, with Fumio present and, surprisingly, none of them asked any questions relating why she was staying. When Fumio left the kitchen, though, the welcome party was already half-organized -how they did it, how knows? Telepathy or mind-reading?- and they started discussing which beverages they were to introduce to the new resident of the dorm. And before Erina realized, she was showing the others her new room and accepting decorating advice from the other females and, unsurprisingly, Isshiki.

The Polar Star residents spent all the rest of the day showing her how things were done around there, and how they gathered all the ingredients. She didn't see Soma in all afternoon, busy with the tour the others were giving her and exploring on her own. Before she knew it, it was after dinner and she was going upstairs with all the intention of throwing herself on her new bed and sleeping all the day off. When she reached the corridor, though, she saw Soma waiting for her in front of her door.

"Hey. Ready to go to sleep?" he smiled.

"So, so ready" she huffed. "Did you want something?" she threw the door open and went into her room, leaving him leaning on her door frame.

"No, no… Just saying good night."

"Oh. Good night then" she looked at him with those big purple eyes full of innocence and at the same time full of experience.

"Just… if you need something. You know where I am, right? Whatever it is, whenever it…" he got interrupted again.

"No matter what, you'll always be there. Right?" she repeated his words from what it seemed now a long time ago.

"Yeah. Always" a soft smile illuminated his face. "I'll leave you to it, then. Sleep well."

"You too, Yukihira. See you in the morning."

* * *

When three o'clock in the morning came around, Erina was turning in her bed, desperate to sleep but unable to do so. Finally giving up and cursing her incompetence at falling asleep -even though she was completely exhausted-, she got up and silently went out of her room. She examined the corridor before her and listened attentively for any signs of someone awake, but all she could hear was the faint snores from three rooms away. Carefully she went across the corridor and opened Soma's door, peeking in the darkness of his room. Her eyes adjusted quickly, though, mainly due to the moonlight coming from his window. Just when she realized that he was not in the bed, she heard a drawer shut close and startled. To her right, Yukihira was sat on the chair before his desk, his hand still on the drawer he just closed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he whispered.

Erina closed the door behind her and looked through the window to avoid those golden orbs that read her so well.

"I can't sleep. It's not nightmares or anything, I just… can't seem to fall sleep."

He was observing her, analyzing her, looking for any sings of lies or unease.

"I'm sorry to have bothered, though, I'll just…" she began to excuse herself when he prolonged the silence between them, but before she could get another word in he interrupted her apologies.

"No, no, I'm sorry, I was just thinking. You can stay here" Soma reassured her and got up. "C'mon, I'm exhausted too, I'd like to get some sleep some time tonight" he wore a strained smile, but his eyes told her all she needed to know. He needed her more the he let on.

Together they slipped under the covers, holding each other and reveling in the comfort they brought to one another.

"Is it because you're in a strange place? Do you not feel comfortable here?" he spoke the to her forehead, so softly she almost hadn't heard him.

"No, no, it's not that."

"Because, you know you don't have to stay here, right? We'll go wherever you want" her heart stopped at that _we_. That _we_ was the reason he was lying in bed with him, it was the reason he was her confidant, her person, her best friend. Because in that moment, she finally felt safe, cared for, protected from everything. But most importantly, she didn't feel alone anymore. No more nights comforting herself after nightmares, no more eating her own food and having no one to share it with, no more confronting here father alone.

"No" she spit it out forcefully, swallowing the lump in her throat that threatened to leave her breathless. "No. Here… It's wonderful here. I never want to leave" her purple irises connected with his.

"You'll never have to leave. Never" a warm hand traced her cheekbone and settled in her neck, his eyes never looking away from hers.

"Good" she exhaled, relaxing and listening to his heartbeat. Her eyes slowly dropped, no longer fighting the blissful sleep her body needed. "Here… here I'm home."


	6. Chapter 6

Yukihira Soma sat in front of his desk, head on his hands and eyes closed. It was not something one would often witness, seeing the red head with a defeated pose and ragged breathing on the verge of a breakdown. Suddenly a fist impacted on the table followed by a frustrated sigh, and his eyes snapped open. The desk trembled for a brief moment. He stared at the blackness in front of him, taking in every detail –every thread, every loose strand, every decoloured filament. He ran his hand through the raspy fabric, one the he had not touched in many years. It was not yet pitch black outside, but the lack of light in his bedroom made it seem so much obscure.

The wind was making itself know in the boy's bedroom, ruffling some wrinkled papers that were scattered throughout the floor. The soft breeze passed through the red hair and helped him calm down, the obscure figure revelling in the coolness of the night. It had been two weeks since Erina's first night at the dorms, and life was going great –well, as great as it could go with the threat of her father hanging over their heads. They quickly settled into a routine –wake up, one of them would prepare breakfast and the other clean up, go to class, come back to the dorm, and keep improving their cooking until dinner time. Erina, much to his surprise, began to help other Polar Star residents, giving them lessons and advice about a wide variety of cooking techniques.

That had been the first indication that something had changed. Because the old Erina, the one that ruled Tootsuki in all its glory, would've never gone out of her way to help what she would consider 'peasants'. But now, now it was different. She had gotten to know her fellow roomates, she had established a connection with them, she had finally realized that they were as human as she was. Because it didn't matter in which family you were born to, what it did matter was how passionate you were about cooking, how willing you were to help each other, how eager you were to learn. Erina, for –probably– the first time in her life, had encountered people that wanted to be her friend not because of her surname, but simply because of who she was. And for her, that was precious.

The red head was so submerged in his thoughts that he didn't hear his door slowly opening. A honey coloured strand of hair appeared from behind the now opened door, followed by a purple iris that quickly scanned the room. A concerned gleam in her eye made itself present, her brow furrowing at the hunched shoulders and the bowed head. The blonde girl took a moment to observe him –it was the first time she had caught him of guard, without a smile on his face, ready to battle through the day, he against the world. And what she really saw was a defeated boy burdened with her future, with the whole school's future. Something inside of her turned, squeezed and churned uncomfortably. A weird –and not welcome– sensation settled in her chest, making it harder to breath, and the more she thought about what he might have been feeling, the worst it was.

Finally and wishing to be rid of the confusing feelings, she spoke.

"You didn't come to dinner." Her soft voice startled him and Soma turned his head, eyes wide and surprised.

"Oh! I didn't hear come in," he said. A wide smile formed in his lips, but she could see that it was forced and didn't reach his eyes at all. "I just got here ten minutes ago, sorry I missed dinner," he smiled even wider.

"Oh," she whispered, "okay then." Her head peeked out of the door a bit more. "If you want, there's leftovers. Tadokoro-san cooked."

His hearty laugh suddenly sounded in the former silent room. "How many time does she have to tell you that you call her Megumi?"

"At least one more, idiot," she huffed in indignation about being laughed at. "I just came because Fumio-san told me you have visitor," Erina snapped.

"Do I?" A weird look flashed through his face, but it was gone before she could comment on it. "Well I'll have to go, then," he laughed softly.

The Tootsuki Princess bade him good night and went to her room, just thinking about her soft and welcoming bed. She was exhausted, but it was all necessary. Things had been calmed until then, but she knew her father and soon the battle would come. The uncertainty, though, was killing her. She wracked her brain in an attempt to predict what Nakiri Azami could do. Would he expel her friends without a reasonable cause? Not probably. Would he put them through hell in hope they fail and therefore expel them? Most likely. The question was how.

Yukihira went downstairs, mentally preparing himself for what was to come. Because he knew with all certainty who was waiting for him, probably in the kitchen. And he was definitely not looking forward to the conversation. When he finally reached the ground floor, he encountered Fumio seated in her usual spot.

"Yukihira!" she barked. "Your old man is looking for you. He's in the kitchen. Try not to burn the place down, I don't think the building can survive two generations of dunderheads doing what you call experiments!"

"We'll try to contain ourselves, Fumio-saaaan!" he laughed.

The red head entered the kitchen with a playful expression on his face and trying to swallow the apprehension down. He saw his father, Yukihira Joichiro –also known as Saiba Joichiro and Asura–, who was leaning on the counter with a frown marring his face. Lips pinched in thought, he raised his head to see his son come through the kitchen door with a smile.

"Soma," he greeted the young man.

"Old man, whatcha doing here? Already kicked out from the New York restaurant, eh?" A smug smirk was plastered on his face.

"What the hell did you do?" Joichiro hissed angrily.

"I don't know what you mean," replied calmly Soma looking at the ceiling, evading the accusing look he knew his father was sporting.

"You damn well know what I mean! Nakiri Azami just called me bragging about the deal he made with you, about how he ruined you future career as cook, about how he brought back Raijin!"

Ah, so there was the problem. Raijin had to come back, and he didn't like it. Well, neither did Soma, but it was necessary.

"You swore to me that you would keep your ability in check!"

"I know," the red head softly answered. Eyes trained on a stain on the ceiling still, wondering how it got there.

"Don't do this, Soma. You can't do this to me. You swore it!"

"I know," he repeated.

His father huffed with frustration. "The black band. You still have it?" his ice cold voice made Soma bring his head down and stare at the older man. It had been a long time since he heard that tone.

"Yes." The red head held his ground and maintained eye contact despite the daggers his father was shooting him.

"And what possessed you to keep it?"

He didn't answer. Soma didn't know the reason, but he just couldn't throw it away. Every time he tried, something inside of him would churn, burn, rebel –he could not do it. Sighing, he went towards the kitchen table and sat down.

"Why are you here, dad?" He asked. "To remind me of my mistakes? Why have you come?"

Oh, he was so, so tired. The moment he accepted that deal he knew old feelings would be brought to the surface and old arguments would be resumed.

"Don't do it, Soma. Don't become Raijin again, you know what happen the last time you did," the older man warned him.

"Don't you think I know that!" Soma roared, suddenly furious. "I see it every time I close my eyes! I remember every detail, every touch, every smell!"

"Then why?! Why would you throw away every effort we made to contain that devil inside you, why would you let it free?!"

"BECAUSE OF HER, DAMN IT!"

Ragged breaths were the only thing audible in the now almost silent kitchen.

"Because of… her," Joichiro laughed hollowly. "I know Erina is a great girl and an exceptional cook, but I think teenage hormones are messing with your head."

"What are you implying?" Soma stood up and looked carefully at his father, hands flat on the table before him.

"I'm saying that you're not thinking straight, that you're risking everything hoping that she sees you as a kind of hero and then go beyond your friendship!"

"Take that back," the red head hissed. He stalked towards his father and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, putting them literally eye to eye. "I would never take advantage of her like that, nor I have any intention of blackmailing her into being with me!" He huffed in frustration. "What she deserves is to live without the shadow of her father looming over her, threatening to enforce his rules of cooking on her!"

"But that is her fight, not yours!" his father shouted back.

Soma released his father and pushed back with a furious expression.

"You disgust me," he spat "she's my friend, and she doesn't need to ask for my help for me to give it to her. Mum would be so ashamed of you right now."

"Don't you dare! Never mention her again!" Now it was the senior Yukihira who grabbed the other and shook him. "You don't even deserve to utter her name! YOU KILLED HER!"

Soma's knees gave away and he dropped when his father released him. A sickening crunch sounded in the room as his body connected with the marble floor of the kitchen.

"I know," he repeated brokenly, all the anger now gone.

Joichiro began to pace around the room.

"If you do this, if you put that damned black cloth on your forehead again… Don't expect to be welcome at Yukihira's anymore. You'll never cook again there," he stated with hard eyes.

Soma had known it. Ever since he had put the dark band away, he had known. His father had never forgiven him for that day, and he never would. The fact the Soma would bring back the same very thing –himself, in a way– that had taken his wife away was the breaking point. And, deep in his heart, Soma had known that day would come, sooner or later.

"Think carefully about your next move, son," Joichiro walked to the door, "or you won't be able to call me 'father' anymore."

And with that, he left the room, leaving behind him a broken young man. Soma was in pieces. He had just lost his remaining family, now he was truly alone. The burning behind his eyes intensified, but he refused to let the tears fall. A gaping hole seemed to have installed itself in his chest, bleeding and raw. He wanted nothing more than to claw his torso and rip his heart out to soothe this blinding pain that was leaving him breathless. Defeated, he kneeled on the floor alone and wallowing in the darkness that seemed to engulf him for who knows how many time. Seconds, minutes, hours passed and it was already dark outside.

A sudden voice shook him out of his own thoughts.

"Yukihira-kun," said Isshiki from the door.

"Isshiki-senpai," replied in relief Soma.

"I just got from an Elite Ten meeting. I'm no longer the seventh seat."

"Yeah, I suppose it had to happen. After all, you are the resistance."

"The new headmaster also hinted at some worrying debilitation of our side, would you know something about that?" enquired Isshiki.

The red head didn't respond. Still on his knees, he hung his head and concentrated on the floor.

"I'm guessing you have a good reason for that," the older boy continued.

A single nod was the only response he got. A sigh followed. "C'mon, Yukihira-kun, let's get you up from the floor. Must be uncomfortable."

Isshiki grabbed Soma by the left arm and pulled him up. With an arm over his shoulders he brought them outside, where the soft, cool breeze cleared their thoughts. After standing side by side in silence for a few minutes, it was the red head who spoke.

"Will you take care of her?" he asked without meeting the older boy's eye.

"Are you going away, then, Yukihira-kun?"

"In a way, yes," he breathed deeply. "I made a deal with Nakiri Azami. It will take some time, but I promise the headmaster will resign. You just survive until then, and fight against him."

"What exactly did you do, Soma?" the hissed reply and the use of his name gave away the distress the former Seventh Seat was feeling.

"That's not important."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Of course not," Soma scoffed, "we would only argue about it and she would feel bad. Or worse than she already is," narrowed his eyes at the older boy. "And you're not to tell her anything either. Don't tell anyone."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Isshiki met the golden orbs with his own.

"Yes," he answered with certainty.

"She'll think you've abandoned her, like everybody else has."

"She has you guys in her life now, she doesn't need me anymore."

"You know that's not true," refuted Isshiki.

"Doesn't matter. The thing is I won't be here in the morning, and hell will begin. Just ensure everyone here survives, okay? Don't let anyone get expelled."

"Soma," the blond boy sighed.

"Just promise me."

"I –," the words got stuck on his throat and he swallowed loudly, "I promise."

Soma gave a sigh of relief.

They fell in silence again. On the trees, some nocturn birds were chirping what sounded like a tune. The stars were clearly visible in the dark of the night and they illuminated the boy's faces slightly. Haunted golden orbs looked at the horizon while Isshiki observed him with scrutiny.

"I don't like this, I hope you know," broke the silence Isshiki.

"I don't either. But… I feel this is what I need to do. I can't just stay here and _try_ to do something about the situation. I feel like I want to –no, I _need_ to face Nakiri in a Shokugeki, and this is the only way." A frustrated huff escaped his lips.

"Then I will not stop you. You fight, Soma. And you win."

And with that, the former Seventh Seat went inside the dorms, leaving Soma out in the garden. The red head shivered when the wind hit him and goose bumps appeared on his skin. He put his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants in an effort to keep them warm. Closing his eyes, he tried to calm the storm of uneasy feelings inside him and shut the voices inside his head. But he could not calm down. The voices weren't quieter, they were louder. And behind his eyes lids it wasn't dark anymore, oranges and reds were swimming and the air was getting hotter. Flames suddenly appeared before him, trapping him, suffocating him, hurting him. The sudden fire licked at his chest and burned him, the smell of charred flesh filled his nostrils and his whole being. A shout ringed in his ears and he tried, he really tried to go to her, but the flames, the white hot burning fire didn't let him. He tried to pass through the flames, lungs burning and straining with effort and, finally, he did it –but more fire waited for him.

He snapped his eyes open, then he concentrated on his breathing. Fingers twitching, he looked one more time at the beautiful garden. He would miss this so much. So, so much. He turned his back to the trees and headed for his room inside the old, elegant building. Before he knew it, he was grabbing his already made bag, where all his clothes laid. He didn't look back when he left his bedroom, full of wonderful memories with his friends; he didn't look back when he passed through the kitchen, where the smell of the dinner Megumi had cooked still lingered; he didn't look back when he walked out, leaving his heart and his soul inside the Polar Star Dormitories.

* * *

Several hours later, Nakiri Erina woke up in her room. She had slept in, for she had had a late night thinking about the strange and unknown visitor Yukihira had had. She couldn't help but wonder –was it a friend from his town?, was it a relative? She just had a bad feeling about it and, though she would deny it if asked, she was worried. And the thing was, she couldn't really explain where all that worry was coming from. The blonde had a weird feeling in her chest, oppressing her with every breath she took, and she couldn't shake the voice in her head that told her that something bad was going to happen, and soon. It hadn't helped that Soma seemed so depressed the night before, because she subconsciously had begun to rely on his cheerfulness to distract her of the harsh reality that was life now.

After showering and putting on some clothes, she went downstairs to the kitchen in order to get some breakfast and start another tiring day, cooking and preparing for something she didn't know when would come. However, when she arrived she encountered a very different scenario than previous mornings. All the residents were gathered around Megumi and Isshiki, staring at what looked like the front page of a newspaper.

"Hey," she greeted them. Seeing none of the other students didn't even turn to her head, she continued, her worry increasing. "What's going on?"

Nobody responded her, everyone was too stunned and terrified to explain the situation to her. Before she could take a glimpse of the paper, though, Megumi put it away and looked her in the eyes, her own swimming with unshed tears.

"Erina," the use of her first name alarmed the blonde greatly. Isshiki put a hand on Megumi's shoulder in a show of support. "All Research Societies, all the seminars… They're all gone now, the headmaster shut them down."

"What? He can't do that! The Elite Ten has to agree!"

"They did," replied Isshiki. "There was a meeting last night. As you weren't needed, nobody summoned you. I was relieved from my position and the new Elite Ten voted in favour of the headmaster. They won."

"You… you're no longer the Seventh Seat? Damn it!" She slammed her hands on the table loudly. "It's already started… Where's Yukihira?" she asked suddenly, as she just noticed his absecnce. "He'll want to hear this too, we need to prepare for the upcoming Shokugekis and–"

"Erina," interrupted Megumi, "Soma is not here."

"What do you mean, 'he's not here'?" the blonde girls narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"There's a new student organization… They're called 'Central'. In a way, they ensure that the headmaster's rules are being obeyed, so they will destroy any one that opposes the new regime."

"And? We'll just have to beat them," she said optimistically, "I don't see how any of these has anything to do with him."

"Soma is part of the Central."

* * *

Raijin: japanese god of thunder and lightning.


	7. Chapter 7

"The winner of the Shokugeki is… YUKIHIRA SOMA!"

All the stadium was in silence. In fact, it had been silent since the red head had begun cooking like there was no tomorrow. It had been… a sight to behold. The aggressiveness in his cooking, the precise but brutal movements, the intensity of the fragrances coming out of his pans. There were no words to describe it. In certain moments the audience had held their breaths at seeing how close Yukihira had been to burn himself. The recklessness that had been displayed had never been seen before in a kitchen in Tootsuki.

"Ladies and gentleman, Yukihira Soma is the new Eighth Seat of the Elite Ten Council!"

Finally, someone clapped. Nakiri Azami stood in his seat with an approving look on his face. The winner of the Shokugeki looked at him and, a second later, bolted out of the stadium. He heard the beginning of the whispers within the public while he stalked down the large white corridor. Finally, when silence surrounded him, Soma leaned against the wall, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. That had been so intense, and so utterly exhausting that the red head felt like falling over right there sleep the whole day. With a sigh, tough, he took off his black band from his forehead, where it had resided during his cooking. He didn't even look at it before he stuffed it in his pocket, all wrinkled. Walking fast, as in a hurry, Soma went to retrieve his bag and called a car to take him to the Nakiri Mansion. He knew that in a couple of hours the headmaster would come to see him, and he wanted to clear his head before the discussion that was to come.

Eight Seat. Two seats over the God's Tongue. She would never forgive him, not now that he was on Central's team and had completely ignored her position in the Elite Ten Council. He sighed. A headache was already forming in his head as he leaned his face on the window car, mindlessly looking at the landscape before him. Before he knew it, the chauffer stopped and got out of the car with all the intention of opening the door for him, but he was faster. Soma stepped out with his bag thrown over his shoulder and, without saying a word to the driver, went inside the unnecessarily enormous mansion. _The Nakiri complex, I suppose…_ , he thought. Going inside, he went straight to his room, previously given to him by Nakiri Azami himself the day both of them had signed that dammed contract. Fortunately, it was far away from Erina's room, which he was grateful for -even though she didn't even live there anymore. Nonetheless, memories of her assaulted his mind every time he saw her balcony from the car or walking across the grounds -everything he did in that dammed mansion brought him to her balcony again and again.

He threw his bag on the bed once he entered his bedroom. Absently, his hand went to his pants' pocket and grabbed that damned black cloth that haunted him. He sat on the chair in front of the luxurious desk and contemplated what he had in his hands. The fabric was still damp, having been drenched in sweat moments before. Soma closed his eyes at the sight, and let his body relax for the first time in days. He was just so utterly exhausted. Cooking at that intensity took a lot out of him, and it had been many years since the last time. Too many years, he reckoned, but with good reason.

Raijin was not someone he would want to become again. It consumed him far too much, cooking became all that was important in his life, and not in a good way. And well, as his father had said, the last time he let Raijin loose… it hadn't gone well. It had been a fucking disaster. And to this day, he still had nightmares about it. The guilt continued to eat at him, always there, always lurking inside his heart and mind and haunting him. The screams, oh the screams were the worse. Why hadn't he been more aware of his surroundings, why had he been so invested in keeping his cooking perfected and not…?

He suddenly brought his mind away from his dark thoughts, aware that he couldn't afford drowning in guilt and 'what ifs' in that moment. His golden eyes looked passively at the fabric while his hands subconsciously folded it and put it in the desks' drawer in front of him.

After a hot long shower, he was putting on the Central's clothes that Azami had provided for him the previous the day when said man knocked at his door.

"Just a second," he replied at the wordless request. Soma put on his black jumper, with the white Tootsuki symbol imprinted, of course, and opened the door. "Headmaster," he inclined his head and let the other man pass through.

"Yukihira, that was a good show," his condescending voice echoed into the room. "You were better than I remember."

"Of course, I never stopped practicing. The last time Raijin made an appearance was too long ago. I've changed."

"So I see," the headmaster pinned Soma's eyes with his. "But it's not enough."

"I know. I'm only the Eight Seat, aren't I? I have to beat them all if I want to take you down."

Azami laughed at his boldness.

"You are so, so far from beating me, kid," he smiled, but his eyes were narrowed in a threat. "Why do you think I made that deal with you? I always play to win."

"So do I."

"You know what you must do before you can even think about fighting me. And tomorrow we start."

"We start what, exactly?" Soma's whole body tensed.

"Your training."

"Training? With you?" the red head incredulously asked. "For what?"

"Yes, with me. As for what… Do you really think Erina's ability comes just from talent? Oh no, my innocent boy, I worked really hard for her to be at the level she is now. And you… you have the potential to become what she is. A God's Tongue."

"You must be joking."

"I can assure you, I never joke about this. Do you remember what it felt like, dear Soma, to let your abilities run free? Even today, I could see that you were restraining yourself. And I want you to lose yourself in your cooking and the taste of food, I want you to discern if a dish had one grain of salt too much, I want you to be able to taste everything and judge everything. You're going to be my new perfect cook with perfect taste."

"How?" Azami looked at the red head confused. "How do you make someone into a God's Tongue?"

A sinister smile appeared on his lips, eyes shining with pride.

"You'll see."

* * *

The next morning found Soma already awake on his bed, dark bags under his eyes contrasting with the paleness of his skin. He was lucky if he had slept more than three hours, wondering what kind of training he was going to receive. The glimpses of bright oranges and horrifying colours that flashed before his eyes every time he closed them certainly hadn't helped him sleep either. The alarm sounded, and he rolled over to slap it silent, sighing against the pillow. The big day was here. With a really big amount of mental effort, he sat up on his bed and scratched his red spiked hair. Pressing down the bridge of his nose, he went on to put some clothes on just to see the Central's uniform that he had left crumpled up on the floor the night before washed and folded on his desk. Another thing they would have to talk about, no more staff entering his room when he was sleeping or simply wasn't there. Following his morning ritual, he entered the bathroom to wash his teeth and face, his face never looking at the mirror before him. He already knew what he would see -a sleep deprived face, a mop of red hair untamed and guilt brimming in his eyes, threatening to spill and consume him until he was no more.

That, though, that could wait.

And just like the day before, a knock on the door brought him out of his musings. Drying his face quickly with a fluffy white towel, he went to open the door just to find Nakiri Azami on the other side. Just like the day before. And probably, for the days to come.

"Morning, Yukihira," the serious man greeted the young man. "have you eaten breakfast?"

Soma narrowed his eyes et the Headmaster.

"Not yet," he responded cautiously.

"Good, that would have ruined your taste buds for today," a cold smirk settled on the man's lips. "If you would follow me, we'll start."

And without another word, Azami just turned around and left, assuming the younger man would follow. Knowing he couldn't refuse, Soma closed the door gently before going down the stairs the Headmaster had taken. At the second turn, the red haired boy was already disoriented, so he just marvelled at the pompous decoration of the mansion, passing through the most elegant subtle paintings to the most strident and flashy ones in a second. Honestly, whoever decorated that building… At last, they arrived to a poorly maintained aisle -dust accumulated on the walls and painting's frames, old candelabrum shaped lamps in a sorry state were scattered unevenly throughout the ceiling and patches of dampness threatened to peal the paint of the walls.

"Really, a secret room in an aisle like this?" an eyebrow rose on Soma's forehead. "How stereotypical," he concluded with disappointment.

"Then you will be definitely dissatisfied with your training room," the older man answered with a smirk decorating his face.

He stopped before an old door, just as stereotypical as the rest of its surroundings.

"Today," the headmaster continued, "you will not be cooking. In fact, you won't cook in this room until I deem you ready to do so."

A red haired raised eyebrow was the only response he got.

Without saying anything else, the older man opened the door, letting Soma see a poorly lit room. As with the corridor, dust was everywhere. A single wooden table was in the room, an equally old chair in one of tis sides. On the left side and up against the wall was a cooker and several counters -one with a sink- with high kitchen cabinets built into the wall.

"You bring me to such fancy places, Headmaster," sneered Soma mockingly.

A sharp glance at him from de the older man shut him up easily, though. The look in his eyes changed to something cold and vile in just a second.

"You'll start by cleaning. All of it. And when I return, there'd better not be speck of dust," he almost growled menacingly. "The cleaning supplies are on the cupboard over there," he gestured a cabinet below the sink. "I'll leave you to it."

And with those final words, he reached up to push the switch high on the wall inside the room and turned around to leave. A small and old light bulb started flickering weakly in the centre of the ceiling, a dim white cold light brushing over the furniture. The sound of the door closing snapping shut brought the red head out of his stupor. With a sigh, he rolled his sleeves up and got to work.

* * *

A knock startled him out of his cooking. A delicious aroma was floating around the kitchen, making every mouth near it water. The day before had been an absolute failure. The so called "training" had been nothing, just cleaning a dusty disgusting room that had definitely seen better days. Today, though, Soma was back at the game. If he wanted to free Erina, to give her the life without constraints she deserved he had to improve. And he had to improve yesterday. So, there he was, making his third breakfast of the day and thinking his way into the next one. No more wallowing in self-pity, he wasn't going to let his feelings control him.

The girl who knocked entered the kitchen and looked around the appetizing and appealing dishes throughout the counter.

"Yukihira-san?" she called when the red head didn't turn around to greet her.

"Yes?" Soma went on, the frizzling sound of the pan before him getting even more intense.

"The Elite Ten has scheduled a meeting for today, at 9 AM to be precise," she announced in a business-like tone. "Your presence is required."

"Okay, I'll be there. Now, get out of my kitchen, your perfume is interfering with the cooking process," the cold voice that escaped him surprised her. While she didn't really know Yukihira Soma, she had seen him interact with other before, be it strangers, acquaintances or friends. And never had she seen such a disrespectful and cold reaction to any of them. So, without any response, she got out of the room, a frown in disapproval marred in her face.

Yukihira went on cooking, the black band wrapped around his left forearm, gripping his appendage tight. Every once in a while, he would rub it, smooth, as if he needed it to go away but couldn't just get rid of it. Before long, his third breakfast was finished and he ripped the black band from his arm, gripping the counter with his left hand until his knuckles went white. Clutching the black cloth with the other hand, he took a deep breath. HE really didn't control his instincts yet. He could repress them completely, of course, as he had been doing all those years before, but he could not let them out gradually, manipulate them, control them, make them his. He put it in his pocket all bunched up and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Soma could feel the tenseness in his shoulder, the stress of the situation burning under his skin, sending lightning-like shocks through his body. He knew that if he went on in that state he would burnt-out in less than a month, and he wasn't willing to do that. In order to not to give into the pressure, though, he had to become Raijin, and it was proving to be more difficult than he thought.

Looking at the clock on the wall, he knew he had to get going, as he wanted to have a shower before the meeting. As he was going to his room, a familiar trace of a smell invaded his nostrils, honey and vanilla mixed in a wonderful scent that he could pick out anywhere. The red head froze in the middle of the corridor and tried to listen for any little sound that could give her away. It seemed she was already gone. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he proceeded to go to his room and have a shower, trying not to remember how well she fit in his arms.

Half an hour later, he was standing in front of the doors that would lead him into the Elite Ten's meeting room. His first meeting, and he was dreading it. Once upon a time, a year before maybe, he would've done anything to be here. Well, not anything, just win a Shokugeki fair and square against one of the big ones of Tootsuki. For Erina, though, he thought. He was doing this for her and all his friends, trapped in this situation that would explode any moment. His eyes went cold and hard, and he steeled himself for what was to come. Without further delay, Yukihira opened the doors, revealing himself to the three other members already inside -one of them, Tsukasha Eishi, current First Seat. Silent, he greeted them just with a nod of his head. Eyes looking around the room, he spotted his seat easily enough, far away from Tsukasha, and that only spurred him on. He would get up there, he vowed, and he would make that bastard pay.

"So," he started the blond, "Yukihira Soma. Finally amongst us."

An arched red eyebrow is all he got as a response, but the First Seat didn't even react at the lack of manners of the younger one.

"You know, if you hadn't had your talents so hidden, you could've been here probably since your first day. I wonder why you didn't try to propose a serious Shokugeki before."

"That," the ice cold voice of the recent Eighth Seat dropped the temperature of the rooms a few degrees, "is none of your business."

Before either of them could say anymore, the last remains of the council started entering the room until, finally, Nakiri Erina made her entrance. Hair as bland and long as always, she looked everyone down, a feeling of superiority radiating from her body in waves. Her eyes scanned the room without even pausing on the red head before taking her seat. His breath stuck in his lungs. She was as radiant as ever. The urge to come up to her and take her between his arms, to get her out of that dammed room and just soothe the rage he saw in those purple eyes was overwhelming. All his senses were wired, all his instincts went wild as he fought within himself to not move, hands gripping the arms of the chair as his life depended on it. As she took her seat, that honey and vanilla scent invaded him yet again, goose bumps all over his body. He was so close, and yet so far from her. Soma could feel her rage, her tenseness, her hard and stoic posture as she took in the room and looked straight at the First Seat, daring him to start the meeting.

"As everyone is here, we will proceed," the older student started. "In today's meeting the Council will decide how the Research Societies are shut down and who will organise the upcoming Promoting Exams."

"I will not stand for rigged Shokugekis," the Tenth Seat stated forcefully. "It is a dishonour to Tootsuki, this Council, and the art of cooking. It's unacceptable," her eyes burned with anger, the violet almost meeting red.

"I agree," calmly replied Tsukasha. He shot a cold glance to Etsuya Eizan, Seventh Seat. "We'll set up ground rules in order to protect the neutrality of the judges participating in Shokugekis, especially those that are demanded by Research Societies. We can't have a repeat of the last one."

The other students nodded, ones more enthusiastically than others. Etsuya, though, had his eyes pinned on the First Seat.

"We'll take every Shokugeki, they should all have the chance to save their RS. If they're not good enough, they're out," the voice of Yukihira Soma sounded for the first time in a meeting.

Suddenly a giggle escaped from somewhere around his right, chilling him to the bone.

"The Polar Star Dormitories were also shot down," a teasing feminine voice said, "will there be a Shokugeki or are the residents a little bit scared?" the Second Seat asked.

Before Soma could even react, though, a calm voice broke through his thoughts.

"Of course there will. We just need to make the formal proposal and this very Council will choose a member."

"How about the new meat, Yukihira?" the smirk on Etsuya's face was obvious.

"I refuse," he replied. The calm response he had given surprised even Nakiri -all of them expected an angry outburst at the blatant provocation by the older student. "One day, I will meet all of them in a Shokugeki, but I have things more important to do than to deal with this because of a child's tantrum. So no, every one of you is capable of shutting down those dormitories, do it."

He could feel the anger emitting from Nakiri at his dismissal, and his insides churned at talking that way about his friends, his only remaining family now. Soma took a deep breath. For them, he thought again. For all of them.

The Third Seat broke quickly the tension created by Soma's statement and the meeting went on, planning who would monitor and organise de Promoting Exams -which, in the red head's honest opinion, were utterly useless. The essence of Tootsuki was raw talent and skills, not following a recipe mindlessly without any modifications. It pained him that cooking would be reduced to that in the school, knowing that within that Campus originality grew and flourished every day.

After two hours of discussion in which he didn't say much, the meeting came to an end. Slowly, the room began to empty and soon he sat alone in front of the big table, a bunch of documents to revise and sign waiting for him. Yukihira tried to arrange them with some sense before he got up to leave, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw her.

Nakiri Erina was standing in front of the window, arms crossed and posture rigid. She unexpectedly turned around and fixed those violet orbs on him sucking the life out of his body with just a glance. Arms frozen, papers scattered on the table again before he could regain himself. Slipping his mask again, the red head's face became blank, ready to face the music.

* * *

 _Sorry for the wait. Thank you for the follows, favorites and reviews._


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